In today's Straight Shorts, leading Perth jockey Chris Parnham hospitalised after a race fall, tariff jitters for European thoroughbred industry, life ban for New Zealand trainer and a piece of Group 1 placegetter Coleman for sale on Inglis Digital.
Chris Parnham hospitalised after Pinjarra fall
A serious fall has left Chris Parnham, who is leading the Australian jockeys’ premiership, with a fracture in his spine.
Parnham fell from Midnight Minstrel in the final stages of the second race at Pinjarra on Thursday and was taken to hospital.
The precise nature of his injuries is still being determined, but Parnham’s father Neville confirmed CT scans had revealed a fracture of his C7 vertebrae.
“There was a slight curve in the fracture line that they wanted more info so they could have more detail on what was required,” Parnham Snr told SEN Track in a message
Chris Parnham has ridden 123 Australian winners this season, two more than Blake Shinn, to be Australia’s leading rider. He leads William Pike in the Western Australia premiership by 23 and the metropolitan premiership by 27-1/2 wins.
Tariffs uncertainty for European markets
European sales companies will be keeping a close eye on the impact of additional American tariffs on the bloodstock market.
The tariffs introduced by President Donald Trump will see a 20 per cent impost on imports from European Union nations such as Ireland, France, Germany and Italy, while for Great Britain, the rate will be 10 per cent.
While the precise impact on the bloodstock landscape is hard to measure at this point, the lack of certainty is likely to affect confidence in the market ahead of breeze-up sales in Europe.
Thoroughbred Daily News has reported that around 10 per cent of trade through both France-based Arqana and English-based Tattersalls originates from the United States.
“The impact on the American buyer is still very difficult to calculate because obviously, through political and economical actions, there can be a lot of change between the euro, sterling and the dollar, so that 20 per cent could actually be far less in the end,” Arqana chief executive Freddy Powell told TDN.
It is also not known how the tariffs may impact the private sales market in Europe and Great Britain.
Cheltenham Stables’ Malcolm disqualified for life
New Zealand trainer and horse breaker John Malcolm has been banned for life after being found guilty for a series of animal welfare offences including punching a horse in the face, and then stomping on its nose.
Racing Integrity Board’s (RIB) Adjudicative Committee on Friday imposed hefty penalties on Malcolm, who operated Cheltenham Stables near Cambridge with his wife Rachel, after finding him guilty of 11 offences last November.
Four charges involved Malcolm inflicting undue suffering on horses under his care as well as seven racing offences of failing to comply with the NZTR Thoroughbred Welfare Detailed Assessment Standards by failing to handle horses under his care in such a way as to minimise the risk of pain, injury or distress.
The offences occurred between March 2023 and mid-2024.
“NZTR fully supports this outcome and remains committed to upholding the highest standards of care and treatment for thoroughbred horses,” NZTR chief executive Matt Ballesty said.
“We have zero tolerance towards any actions that compromise their wellbeing. The decision regarding Mr John Malcolm sends a clear message that animal welfare is paramount in our industry, and we fully support the outcome.”
Rachel had been disqualified in October for six months by RIB after being found guilty of hitting a rising two-year-old colt with a piece of poly pipe.
She appealed both the finding and the penalty, which was dismissed by the Adjudicative Committee and ordered to pay costs of $3441.35 to the RIB and to the tribunal a further $2250.
Share in Group 1-placed colt Coleman on Inglis Digital
A share in top-class colt Coleman, runner-up in last year’s Golden Slipper, a sister to a Group 1 winner-turned-stallion Flying Artie and a stallion share in Russian Revolution will be offered via the latest Inglis Digital April (Early) Online Sale.
Formerly trained by Matt Laurie, Coleman was the first colt home in the 2024 Golden Slipper who was the highest-rated two-year-old of his generation before returning as a spring three-year-old to finish second in the Group 2 Roman Consul Stakes.
Now in the care of champion trainer Chris Waller, Coleman is being aimed at a possible tilt at the Group 1 Doomben 10,000 and the Stradbroke Handicap. A 10 per cent share in Coleman is being offered.
The Inglis Digital catalogue also features Bout (Artie Schiller), a winning sister to Blue Gum Farm-based Flying Artie. She is being offered in foal to exciting first-season sire and Golden Slipper winner Shinzo.
A Russian Revolution stallion share, who will stand for a fee $33,000 (inc GST) at Newgate Farm this year, is also being offered through the April Early Digital sale, which concludes on Wednesday.
BetStop numbers surpass 40,000
More than 40,000 Australians have now registered for BetStop, Australia's national gambling self-exclusion register, but the rate of adoption has significantly slowed.
Published figures up until the end of March show 40,121 registrations since it was introduced in August 2023, although only 27,763 of those remain active.
That overall number grew by 4450 in the first three months of 2025, but this rate was down from 5445 in the first three months of 2024.
The latest stats show 46 per cent of those excluded were 30 years or younger, while 32 per cent were aged from 31 to 40. Overall, 39 per cent of people who utilised BetStop, opted for a lifetime exclusion.
The federal government announced in October it would conduct a review into BetStop, which would be led by public servant Richard Eccles.
NSW trainer Stephen Dixon cops nine-month ban
NSW country trainer Stephen Dixon, who operates a stable at Tamworth, has been suspended for nine months.
The ban by Racing NSW’s integrity department stems from an inquiry relating to Dixon’s treatment records and a subsequent verbal altercation with investigator Nikki Burke on March 29 at the Tamworth racecourse.
Dixon had been requested to provide treatment records for his stable of horses by March 28 after an initial investigation on March 25.
The stewards’ report read: “At this time (March 29), Mr Dixon took part in an electronically recorded interview in respect to the contents of the treatment records. During the interview, Mr Dixon became irate and acted in an aggressive manner while directing improper and insulting comments towards Racing NSW Investigator Nikki Burke.
“Mr Dixon ended the interview prematurely and walked away. A short time later, Mr Dixon returned and threw his Racing NSW identity card on the table stating, ‘no longer a trainer’.”
Stewards charged Dixon later that day and four horses he had accepted for Tuesday’s meeting at Tamworth were scratched on May 31.
